Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD)

EOD involves the detection, identification, evaluation, render safe, recovery and disposal of explosive items. In practice, EOD operations deal with mines, munitions and sub-munitions, artillery shells and mortar bombs, hand and rifle grenades, guided missiles, rockets and aircraft bombs among other items. Explosive ordnance is encountered in many circumstances including unexploded and abandoned ordnance (UXO & AXO) ammunition caches stockpiles of ammunition and as part of post-explosion clearance activity in and around ammunition storage areas.

Available physical destruction techniques range from open burning and open detonation (OBOD) techniques through to highly sophisticated industrial processes. These include:

closed burning

contained detonation

manual disassembly

mechanical disassembly and breakdown

robotic disassembly

cryofracture

hydro-abrasive cutting

water jet washout

microwave explosive melt-out

The GICHD provides independent advisory services to governments, national authorities and partner agencies on issues relating to explosive ordnance disposal, including, but not limited to: the International Mine Action Standards (IMAS) on EOD, ammunition safety management (ASM) and detailed technical information for the identification, neutralisation, disposal, safety, storage and processing of explosives and transport of ordnance. Technical advice and support are also provided to ERW discussions under the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW) process. Assistance has been provided to national authorities including training & identifying and resolving technical, logistical and operational issues involved in EOD stockpile destruction. The GICHD also conducts post-explosion assessments.

Cluster Munitions Identification Tool (CMID)

The GICHD’s Cluster Munitions Identification (CMID) Tool is a web-based system that enables quick identification of cluster munitions and allows easy access to information on weapons that are classified as cluster munitions prohibited by the Convention on Cluster Munitions.